Arena football union instructs players to go back to work

Well, that was short-lived. The Arena Football League Players Union ordered its players back to work Saturday morning with an apparent resolution in the strike. Details of an agreement are not yet known.

"Basically were instructed to go back to work and like I said, we all want to play football," New Orleans VooDoo representative Alvin Ray Jackson said. "We're just waiting on word from the players union (on details.)"

AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto posted on his Twitter account during the early-morning hours Saturday: "Work stoppage over all players instructed to go back to work, those that stood tall, THANK YOU! Details forthcoming next week!"

Jackson is just hopeful that things did work out and everything is fair.

"I don't want the owners to lose money, but at the same time we don't want to lose money either," Jackson said. "The main thing is football. And for these fans in New Orleans I want to play football for them on Sunday (March 18.)"

Players were making $400 per game without medical benefits.

The 25th season of the league kicked off Friday night with Pittsburgh at Orlando and both teams using replacement players. A handful of players on both teams had crossed the lines and did play. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, one of the players who crossed the line to play for the Power was former VooDoo star PJ Berry, who had four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.

According to several reports, and Soto's Twitter account, the union and the league were working on a deal all the way until 5 p.m. Friday just several hours before the Power and Predators game. When a deal wasn't reached, or placed in limbo, both teams' owners, in essence, fired their players and went with replacement players.

Pittsburgh defeated Orlando, 40-26, which works in the VooDoo's favor because Orlando plays in the same division, the American Conference South.

"That's the best thing out of the whole situation, huh?" Jackson joked.

The VooDoo had the first weekend of the season off, but will open at home March 18 against the Philadelphia Soul.